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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"> <channel> <atom:link href="http://owensoft.net/v4/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <title>owenSoft.net</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/</link> <description></description> <language>en</language> <generator>http://owensoft.net</generator> <image> <url>http://owensoft.net/favicon.png</url> <title>owenSoft.net</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/</link> </image> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3419/</guid> <title>Review - Deus Ex Human Revolution Xbox 360 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3419/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3419/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7087.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>So I decided to give FarCry3 a break and installed Deus Ex Human Revolution(DEHR). It&#039;s fun. Very slow, simple controls. It feels like cyberpunk 2077 if it were made in 2011. This is what I like about revisiting these old 360 games - you can see things that you thought were new 2025. Everything is remix. Some buildings have floors with no down stairs. You can go up but you cannot go down but this is ok. There is enough of everything to make the spaces feel real.</p><p>The game is very brown/orange and the loading screens are a bit long. I played for about 2 hours, lots to look at, lots of fully voiced NPC dialog to listen and choices to make. Definitely will be playing it some more.</p><p>After finishing FC3 I really got back into this game. Trying hard to resist the urge to hack into every computer terminal just to read everyone&#039;s emails. It really brings out the voyeur in me. The more I play, the more I like the world and the little things that are hidden in the environment. I do a mix of stealth, guns out and hacking. It maybe possible to go all stealth but in some spots its hard to avoid shooting 10 guards in the head while hiding in a vent. The game likes boundaries but it kinda lets you do what you want in the off peak hours like a off duty cop.</p><p>I am not sure how many hours I&#039;ve spent searching lockers and desk draws for credits instead of heading to the next mission marker. I enjoy that they spent time putting these things into the game.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You never know when you might need some extra credits to bribe someone. But having lots of credits is not the only way, you could just shoot everyone you see and suffer the consequences. That is what I like about this game versus something like Mirrors Edge which traps you into a box of nothingness. They are both old games but ME is just empty.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>I like the game and the orange world. 9/10.</p><p></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3419/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Sun, 30 Mar 2025 21:52:14 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/</guid> <title>Cross Roads, June 2023 (Street Photography)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/</link> <description>68 <p></p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7078.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7077.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7079.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7080.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7081.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7082.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7083.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7084.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7085.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7086.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3418/#comment">add comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 08:31:42 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3417/</guid> <title>Review - Burnout Paradise - Xbox 360 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3417/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3417/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7076.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>First impressions; Its fun, feels fast and no loading screens. The game just flows, the tutorial is narrated in game and the 70 tracks of licensed background music just plays forever in the background. its a good game even by 2008 standards. I am actually surprised. I spent 2 hours just driving around in a seemless space taking shortcuts and doing jumps. This is another game bought online from <a rel='external' href='https://www.thevideogamecompany.com' title='TVGC'>TVGC</a>.</p><h4>Game play</h4><p>If you like driving around an open world that is kinda like NFS and GTA had a baby then this is the game for you. It is easy to drive fast and easy to crash in dramatic ways. But after a crash the game just keeps going as if it exists just so you can drive around forever. It gives you different cars. The cars are fast as soon as you get them so there are no dumb skill trees or things to upgrade - at least as far as I can see in the 2 hours I have played. I am at 7% now, we will see how it evolves as I win more races. I am going to jump back into Dark Souls 2 and play some more of this tomorrow.</p><p>The game is really easy to pick up and play. I can see it being really addictive for people who like arcade-y style racing games without being forced to do stuff. The downside of this open world vibe is that you cannot just jump to a race - you need to drive to the stop light that starts it which can get a bit annoying when you are speed running the game. Also when you lose a race there is no option to start over. The game has no quit option - it auto saves when you win a race and so you just turn off the console. Some of the cars you get have much worse handling so you have to adjust your play style to the car you are driving which is annoying the first time you experience a poor handling car.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>Hours later I can safely say the game is still fun. Hours could pass before you get bored crashing your car into other cars, over and over again with no consequences. So far I am 8 hours in 24% complete. There is no story, no stopping to get gas, no stopping to repair your car nothing. Just pure driving and slow-mo crashing. Awesome 9/10. I can now see why it&#039;s been ported to every modern system. It&#039;s fun chaos.</p><h4>Tips and Tricks</h4><p>The game loop is pretty simple; the higher the license the more time you will spend hunting down stop lights that have not yet been completed. Some cars are better than others so make sure you try out all the cars to see which one matches your style. I realized that some parts of the world map are more &quot;fun&quot; than other so you might want to hang out around the parts you like because you will have a easier time.<br /></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3417/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Mon, 24 Mar 2025 21:42:43 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/</guid> <title>Portmore Mall, July 2023 (Street Photography)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/</link> <description>68 <p>Regular evening, bus stop, ATM, witness, street venders.</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7065.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7066.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7067.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7068.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7069.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7070.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7072.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7073.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7074.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7075.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3416/#comment">add comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Mon, 17 Mar 2025 09:48:14 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3415/</guid> <title>Prestige (Gallery Wall)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3415/</link> <description>68 <p>July 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3415/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7063.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3415/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7064.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3415/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:52:23 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3414/</guid> <title>Review - Mirror's Edge - Xbox 360 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3414/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3414/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7062.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>The art style is pretty but bad level design choices made the game more annoying than it needs to be. In some cases the level designers force the player to change direction when the nature of game encourages a forward flow state. With video games you are free to create near any structure you desire. Why not create a structure that is fun?</p><h4>Its not fun</h4><p>Sometimes the direction you should go is not clear, so much so that they give you a button point you in the correct direction. This shouldn&#039;t be needed. There are red highlights that appear but then they made a red level which made everything blend together and I was like lol, omg, why? The game is more a case of confusion as they add in pointless things like trains, armed guards and helicopters. It&#039;s a case where the designers want to maintain tension but there is no way to avoid the these sections. So you are forced into a sort of mania.</p><p>I should have known from the 2008 release date on the home screen that I was about to enter a world of jank. I mistakenly adjusted the video settings to very dark because most of the game is bright and over exposed. But unbeknownst to me, a couple levels deep into the game the designers put me in an air vent which was pitch black because of my settings. Why have air vents at all when you can render almost any structure? </p><p>Another problem I find with this game is some of the spaces make no sense physically. I understand that they want to force you down a certain path but some high rise floors have no down stairs or rooms with no exits. Sometimes you end up in a space which just simply does not add up. Only to eventually see a open vent above you. It messes with your mental map of spaces.</p><p>Lets not talk about the janky combat and the helicopters that are permanently on your tail. [h]Please leave me a lone let me navigate the spaces in peace.[h] After playing Hitman Absolution (2012) with its miriad of options and paths in this game I got total clusterphobia. </p><p>It is obvious when the game is forcing you down a tunnel when easier - more natural paths - could have been allowed at extra cost. There are even cases where you could simply run around an obstacle or use a wall jump but the designers purposely wall you in. The funny thing is once you do the thing that they set up you end up on the other side with no real benefit - only a sigh of relief that you overcame another annoying roadblock in your path. There is no cost to just allowing me to take the easier path.</p><p>I will try to complete the game just to see the environments but I am tempted to stop playing the game. [never completed it, maybe later, doubtful]</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>The game is pretty but the play is not polished. They tried too many things instead of just sticking to one core move set. It is hard for me to give this game anything more than a 5/10. 2008 jank. It does not maintain its flow and every puzzle has only one solution. I stopped playing in chapter 7 - the boat. I felt the game was wasting my time. After every puzzle instead of feeling accomplished I felt relief. My brain instantly erased the trauma of the previous hurdle. Dumb unrealistic rooms that exist only to setup a particular puzzle really grinds my gears.</p><h4>Addendum</h4><p>Also the game is very empty and its definitely a technical limitation(baked lighting) but it goes to places where people should be - instead of avoiding those places. If I was the producer I would have avoided any areas where the player would miss the absence of people. The dystopian city scape really doesnt explain away the lack of people. The story conflicts with the visuals as if it were 2 separate teams with no director. The game might have been better with no story at all. Or as a story with no game.<br /></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3414/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:12:00 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3413/</guid> <title>Mopping (The random photo journal)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3413/</link> <description>68 <p>July 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3413/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7059.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3413/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7060.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3413/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7061.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3413/#comment">add comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Fri, 07 Mar 2025 08:12:42 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/</guid> <title>Abandoned Car (The wheels project)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/</link> <description>68 <p>You dont want to leave your car on the highway for too long. This was left on dyke road for about a month before it completely disappeared. Probably had a flat tire. June 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7050.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7051.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7052.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7053.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7054.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7055.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7056.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7057.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7058.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3412/#comment">add comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:57:44 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3411/</guid> <title>Review - Farcry 3 - Xbox 360 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3411/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3411/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7049.jpg" alt="FC2 disc was faulty" /></a><p>Played the game to completion. I am not sure how long it took but I had to stop myself from doing the fetch quests and taking over the encampments. Honestly capturing encampments is the most fun I&#039;ve had in the game. But I had to get through the story. The game is fun once you get the tools that you need to be effective and craft the bags you need to carry lots of ammo and grenades. I am surprised that 13 years later I finally get to play this awesome game. So many games have followed this formula up until this point.</p><p>I could see people playing this game for a very long time. Collecting every treasure, traveling to every corner of the map by foot instead of using fast travel as I did but the options are there, many guns and bullets at your disposal. Its an almost perfect sandbox of shooting or stealthing around with the bow and arrow.</p><p>I swear a million people worked on this game creating all the set pieces and loot to find in the sparce jungle. Too bad most of it is pointless only for the most dedicated collector.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>Its a good game solid 9/10. It starts a bit slow with the animal hunting and skinning but once you get your skill points up you practically never need to play another FarCry type game after playing this one because they are all the same with different cutscenes. For me its on to the next game but this was certainly a nice ride. I will eventually play blood dragon. Right now its on to Mirrors Edge.</p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3411/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Sun, 02 Mar 2025 19:25:05 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3410/</guid> <title>Hands off (And the Sign Says..)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3410/</link> <description>68 <p>Pictures from the machine shop. June 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3410/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7045.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3410/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7046.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3410/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7047.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3410/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7048.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3410/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Sun, 02 Mar 2025 09:45:10 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3409/</guid> <title>Buying Xbox 360 games - Round 3 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3409/</link> <description>68 <p>As I mentioned in my <a rel='external' href='/v4/item/3407/' title='previous'>previous</a> post I was missing a few games to round off my collection. Firstly I wanted a second controller and made sure to get the white version because it seems more iconic than the all black controller that came with my console - plus its always good to have a backup. Bulletstorm was a recommendation I saw online. Max Payne 3 is the last game of the a highly rated PC game of the same name and also a Rockstar game which means high production values. Watch dogs is a <a rel='external' href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNter0oEYxc' title='classicaly over hyped game'>classicaly over hyped game</a> from 2016, when it was released it had an awesome trailer so I just wanted to experience the <a rel='external' href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JcujYbctPk' title='downgrade'>downgrade</a> first hand, lol. I get to relive the hits and misses.</p><h4>Price List</h4><p>Max Payne 3 $13.99 USD<br />Watch Dogs $9.99 USD<br />Bulletstorm $11.98 USD<br />Microsoft Xbox 360 White &amp; Gray Wireless Controller - $44.99 USD<br />Total - $93 USD<br />Shipping; $8 USD</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>I think this raps up the games I am interested in playing. Except for Half-life 2. Roughly 31 cases. The controller allows me to get play 2 player tekken.</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3409/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7043.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3409/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7044.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3409/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:14:00 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/</guid> <title>Cross Roads, July 2023 (Street Photography)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/</link> <description>68 <p>Hitting the streets</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7033.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7034.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7035.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7036.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7037.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7038.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7039.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7040.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7041.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7042.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3408/#comment">add comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:29:10 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3407/</guid> <title>Buying Xbox 360 games - Round 2 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3407/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3407/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7032.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>I am not sure how I discovered <a rel='external' href='https://thevideogamecompany.com' title='TVGC'>TVGC</a> but I was actively looking for a way in which I could buy a bundle of games in one package so they could be shipped together in one package - instead of individually - which amazon tends to do. Shipping all the games together at once should save on shipping costs. Either way it worked out, the website is easy to use and I got my second set of games all in one box.</p><p>The <a rel='external' href='/v4/item/3377/' title='initial set of games'>initial set of games</a> were good but there were some gaps in the collection that I needed to fill. For example I wanted to get the Orange Box but it was a bit expensive so I settled for Portal 2 instead - no point in getting an expensive game that I might not play immediately. OrangeBox is one of those games that people talk about alot but I would mostly be getting it for Portal. Portal 2 seems to be a good compromise since it is only $13 vs $40 for the orange box.</p><p>In this second batch of games I spread myself around abit by picking up a few in which I had mild interest. Mirror&#039;s Edge, CODAW, Batman AC. Picked up Gears 3 and Crysis 3 to cover those bases. Burnout Paradise has been ported to everything so it must be good. I chose Tekken 6 over TTT2 since I had to have at least one fighting game in the collection. I got another triple pack game - wish there were more of these types of bundles. This is quite an eclectic mixture but I do play quite a variety of games. Now that the xbox360 is technically &quot;retro&quot;, most games are &quot;cheaper&quot; than when they originally released while being easy enough to achieve. </p><h4>Game list</h4><p>Portal 2 - $12.99 USD<br />Dishonored - $4.99 USD<br />Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - $15.99 USD<br />Tekken 6 - $17.99 USD<br />Burnout Paradise - $15.99 USD<br />Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes - $13.99 USD<br />Ultimate Action Triple Pack (JustCause2, TombRaider, Sleeping Dogs) - $16.99 USD<br />Mirror&#039;s Edge - $16.99 USD<br />Gears of War 3 - $13.99 USD<br />Crysis 3 - $12.99 USD<br />Batman Arkham City - $10.99 USD</p><p>Total = $153.89 USD<br />Shipping Costs = $31.25 USD</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>The only game missing from the list is Max Payne 3 which got misplaced while I was curating the shopping cart. I will have to buy it later. Since I spent most of the 7th gen of gaming on the Nintendo Wii, which means all these games are new territory. I think this completes the list of games that I want to play on the Xbox360. I think I have searched every &quot;best of list&quot; I could find on the internet. Anything else is either part of a series of games, too expensive or not interesting enough for me to acquire it now. I estimate the running total of my xbox purchases to about $650. Lots of games to play, never enough time but we will see what the future holds. I have previously written about my <a rel='external' href='/v4/category/45/' title='play strategy'>play strategy</a> and will also write little <a rel='external' href='/v4/category/45/' title='blog reviews'>blog reviews</a> on them as I play each of them. The first game I played out of this batch was Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.</p><h4>Links</h4><p><a href="https://www.thevideogamecompany.com/" rel='external'>www.thevideogamecompany.com/</a></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3407/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Sat, 15 Feb 2025 10:47:29 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3406/</guid> <title>Review - Dark Souls 2 - Xbox 360 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3406/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3406/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7031.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>The game is brutal. The environments have the vibe of shadow of the colossi on the ps2. The game world feels abandoned and lonely with minimal music. This might be the first totally &quot;new&quot; experience I have since I got <a rel='external' href='/v4/item/3377/' title='the Xbox 360 console'>the Xbox 360 console</a>. Forza, Hitman, FarCRy3 are all experiences that are better but not different from ones I have had on older systems. Plus all have difficulty modes that allow you to move through without many walls to stop your progress. But in DS2 the first few enemies can literally ruin your day. I think I died 30 times before I left the first area.</p><p>I got the DS2 along with DS1 to <a rel='external' href='/v4/item/3394/' title='borrow from'>borrow from</a> a co-worer. I played DS1 first but found the framerate and the jank to be too bad for my liking. So I skipped DS1 and went to DS2 which luckily had better performance. I am not a purist as you may notice from my small collection of xbox games.</p><p>Progression is slow. This is definitely a patient man&#039;s game. If you try to rush through you will die many, many times. Every door and corner is a potential death trap. You have to be careful at all times because in the early game every enemy can wreck you if given the slightest chance.</p><p>The game has many subtle systems but its not complicated or overwhelming. No easy option is available. You do what you can to survive or you just give up. The game does not care either way. The game itself will make it harder the more you die. Get good or go home.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>At just 7 hours in I can safely say the game is great. Died 200 times. I might never finish it so I don&#039;t need to write alot about it. Dark Souls 2 is a real &quot;gamer&#039;s game&quot;. 10/10 would recommend only for the most hardcore players who like to fail and get back up many times. If you think of games as a series of tests then it is a masters degree. You will not have a good time if you only play easy games. </p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3406/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Fri, 14 Feb 2025 08:00:14 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/</guid> <title>Machine Shop (Office Space)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/</link> <description>68 <p>You should always have your camera with you. You never know when you will get to be somewhere unique. June 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7021.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7022.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7023.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7024.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7025.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7026.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7027.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7028.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7029.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7030.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3405/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Wed, 12 Feb 2025 08:54:28 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3404/</guid> <title>Park (And the Sign Says..)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3404/</link> <description>68 <p>That bicycle is rushed in that spot. I should have taken some detail shots. In this case I am just matching colours. June 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3404/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7019.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3404/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7020.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3404/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:27:59 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3403/</guid> <title>Xbox Game Pass is a FOMO trap (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3403/</link> <description>68 <p>Just like many subscription services one has to ask themselves; &quot;is it really worth my time or am I paying for something that is just sucking me dry?&quot;. If you compare Game Pass (GP) to Netflix you might think that games are just like movies but there are not. A game is an interactive story often 20+ full hours long - depending on how you play. The time spent is up to your involvement more than the director/writer&#039;s skills at wasting the viewer&#039;s time. Games are a directed form of &quot;choose your own adventure&quot;. Some games can be 100 hours if you really want to dick around. Since you have to keep paying for the service in order to play the game you might as well buy the game and be done with the relationship. But it might not be that simple. </p><h4>Access to a large library of games</h4><p>It is true that you have <a rel='external' href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eJSYmYgdnE' title='alot of choice'>alot of choice</a>, similar to when we had game demos in the past(free) or game rentals from blockbuster(paid). I guess making a game demo became too costly for the developers so they stopped doing it - I am not really sure why they stopped. A game demo is usually smaller than the full game which is good for consoles with limited data storage and slow internet transfer speeds. <span class="h"><em>Why download the full game if there is only a 50/50 chance you will buy it?</em></span> Small demos seem like a win-win for everyone involved.</p><h4>A paid demo service</h4><p>Many advocates say that the GP is a good way to test out games that you have never played before and would never get to play - most likely because there are no demos or rental services or ways to borrow physical games - because you never buy games. So who is really to blame for this? GP is actually worse than game demos because instead of downloading a small version of the game you need to download the full game in order to test it out. With the current file size of modern video games you are looking at a huge download which may take some time depending on how fast your internet is and also how fast xbox lets you download the game (yes its limited). So there is this lag time between finding something you are interested in and actually getting to play it. A GP game can range in size from 20gb to 150 gb in size so you could be waiting a little while before you get to play something new.</p><h4>I just like new games</h4><p>Games are not like movies. It usually takes about an hour or 2 before a game gets really interesting and before you get full access to its features. Movies tend to front load themselves to try to catch your interest in the first 10 minutes - plus movies are shorter than games. Even multi-episode mini series are shorter than most games. There are even game trailers you can watch - for free - that allow you to get a taste of what a game is like before you actually play it. Some people get game recommendations from friends but at that point they could just lend you the game if they already bought it. There are game reviews, podcasts, and many ways to find interesting games, GP is probably the worst and most time consuming way. it might even be a trap for unsuspecting gamers. Unless gaming is your only hobby</p><h4>Hidden limits</h4><p>If internet <a rel='external' href='https://www.reddit.com/r/XboxGamePass/comments/1chqu03/recommendations_for_low_download_size_games/' title='speed and file size'>speed and file size</a> is not an issue (which you will never know until you are in the thick of it) there are other things that limit what you can actually do on GP. Storage is another major concern If you like huge, graphically intense games like COD or MW you are looking at a 150gb download per game to save on the console&#039;s limited data storage of 512 gb. You could delete each game after you test it out or <a rel='external' href='https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Storage-Expansion-Solid-State/dp/B09BJYXMDW' title='spend extra'>spend extra</a> for additional data storage.<br />So there are only so many GP games you can have on console at any one time, you can swap between them but never share them with other friends or family. No multi-tv, multi kids, multi-room setup. Let&#039;s say in the best scenario you download 6 GP games; you need to slowly search through the list, pick them, you wait for them to download, you play each for a couple hours. By the time you actually get around to trying something else the month of GP would have already expired and you only played 6 games. <br />It is like having an &quot;all you can eat buffet&quot; but you only have one mouth. A full supermarket but small shopping carts. Of course this is all part of the FOMO. Xbox knows that you can only do so much in one month. Having access to 420 games at one time only seems good on paper. You are fighting a losing battle<br />Let&#039;s say you find a game you like, but then it rotates off the service - what do you do then? You have limited time to play it! So either you buy it or take the risk that it doesn&#039;t get delisted and replaced with something random or another old xb360 game.</p><h4>The FOMO trap</h4><p>So here is the kicker; you have access to all these games but you cannot play them all - not even 10%. At most you can probably play 10 in a month - but you still get that fever rush because your brain is fooled into thinking you can actually play all of them. You blame yourself for not spending enough time to find the needle in the haystack. It&#039;s not totally your fault, because the haystack itself is shifting around slowly in order to mess with your brain - <span class="h"><em>every month there is a new thing, a new day one drop that you must play</em></span>. It is a similar situation with mobile gaming; there are a mountain of choices but all of them are basically different ways to waste your time. Look out, your month of GP is nearing its end. What do you do? You spent half the month browsing the <a rel='external' href='https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass/games' title='game list'>game list</a>, looking at thumbnails and adjusting filters. Maybe next month you will find that one interesting game or 2 or 3. The cycle repeats.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>If you want to put yourself into that kind of situation where you are trapped in a fomo cycle then go right ahead - misery loves company. It&#039;s often a case where you are not the one trapped but someone else has unknowingly recommended you into a trap - such is the case with these services. Someone might go in thinking they only going to test out a few games and quit but then flash forward 10 years later you are still paying for a service that you are either not using or keep active just in case something pops up that you &quot;might&quot; like. FOMO = <a rel='external' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_missing_out' title='Fear of missing out'>Fear of missing out</a></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3403/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:12:00 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3402/</guid> <title>Review - Hitman - Absolution - Xbox 360 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3402/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3402/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7018.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>I was playing Assassin&#039;s Creed 2 but my Xbox350E started acting up again - shutting down everytime it tried to read the disc drive. So I popped in a new disc and gave the power supply a few quick taps and it stayed on. I think something is wrong with the power supply - I need to buy a new one at some point.</p><p>HitmanA is good. The graphical style is nice and the UI has more buttons that I remember from the PS2 versions. I haven&#039;t played them in years so my memory of them might be a bit foggy. I loved HM:BloodMoney and this feels pretty close except with quicktime CQC events. I am playing the game on easy as I mentioned in my overall xbox360 game <a rel='external' href='/v4/item/3383/' title='play strategy'>play strategy</a>. Easy mode makes you a tank but you miss out on the ingame challenges so I will replay each stage on normal after I beat them on easy.</p><p>What can I say about Hitman:AB? It is the bomb. The large crowds, cinematic set pieces, shadow filled rooms, the lights, the sound, the chaos when things go sideways, everything really gets turned up compared to the limitations of HM:BM on the PS2. Currently on level 3 but I am fully enjoying this game. So much so that I switched the difficulty to Normal so that I can take advantage of the optional in game challenges in each level. The controls are initially a bit confusing but all the elements are there for a great time. I have replayed the stages a few times and I love that when things go south you can still shoot, salvage or soft reset the level.</p><p>I had heard complaints about the more controlled &quot;movie like&quot; nature of this game in comparison to the previous entries but I do not mind it at all. The segmented sections allow for setups that were not possible in the older games. Setups which are like mini-puzzles in a bigger level.</p><p>One thing that is annoying is how the xbox achievement pops up at key moments during the game play taking you out of the game. Sometimes the popup even overlaps and you do not get to read the description text before another one appears. Maybe this is just an xbox thing. I eventually turned off xbox notifications of in the system settings - I do not miss them at all.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>This is a 9/10 game. Nice and neat. Loads quickly, restarts are quick. Play hitman for the doors and corners. Normal mode is fine. If you love slow paced stealth games this should definitely be in your collection.<br /></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3402/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Sat, 08 Feb 2025 09:13:49 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3401/</guid> <title>4 phones (Office Space)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3401/</link> <description>68 <p>July 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3401/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7017.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3401/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Thu, 06 Feb 2025 07:32:57 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3400/</guid> <title>Review - Borderlands 1 - Xbox 360 (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3400/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3400/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7016.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>After finishing Rage I felt like continuing my dystopian-mad-max lifestyle so I decided to play Borderlands 1. After hearing about this game for years I was surprised at how &quot;janky&quot; it felt. The game feels &quot;old&quot; right off the bat. You have jank enemies and rabid dogs which are both bullet sponges. Enemies dont react when shot in the face or legs. Considering that the game was released in 2009 versus Rage which is 2011 alot could have improved so I may have played the games in the wrong order.</p><p>I started out aiming to play the most recent version of every game series but this game was packaged in a multi-pack with BioShock + Xcom: EU so it was hard to resist combo deal. I probably should have started with BL2(2012) instead but it is too late now. Unless I sell the multi-pack?</p><h4>The game play</h4><p>The game is full of stats and random bloat everywhere and NPCs talking over each other if you move around while they are talking. I imagine that this was how it was in the old days before modern games started to lock you into one place whenever you interact with a NPC. The UI for the game is like an old DOS GUI from 1990 - too many lists and sub categories for things that could be icons. There is no obvious way to put the game on easy so I guess I will have to play through this as it is. It starts out with the basic fetch quests in an uninteresting cell shaded wasteland with lots of little collectible chests with $10 or 5$ inside. Total busy work even worse than the bottles in Rage. At least in the case of Rage they were sprinkled lightly around the level instead of in every corner or pile of shit.</p><p>I realized early on that there were limits on everything; limits on grenades, weapons you could carry, bullets. Everything is tied to your level progression. I was getting mobile game vibes. Combined with the lack of stopping power from the guns, random drops of slightly better guns, enemies that get harder as you level up. I was getting bad vibes from this game. Returning to the same person after every quest just to get another pointless collect-a-thon in the same place is likely to get boring really fast plus I had to deal with the annoying dogs. Then the dogs started jumping, spitting goo, and creating radial explosions.</p><p>I also notice that there is something off about the in game map or how it corresponds to the level layout - its weird and doesn&#039;t flow well.</p><p>So I played for a couple hours and have come to conclusion that this game is looter shooter-grind fest. The quests are boring and everything is tied to the leveling system. The enemies are always a level or 2 higher than you are and I end up looking for tactics to cheese them instead of approaching them head on. I used the soldier class and even then I found that I had to be very careful when approaching encampments, sniping the first couple enemies then throwing grenades (which are also limited to your level), then camping as the dogs bomb rush me. There is no way to surprise enemies, they magically detect you as soon as you are close.</p><p>No way to avoid enemies as the map layout forces you down a narrow path. Frequent stops are further hampered by the clunky interface for collecting loot - because its clunky its very hard to collect the fetch quest items while enemies are in the area. You can accept multiple quests but the questing system is set up in such as way that some items do not appear if you are not on that assigned quest - so you end up visiting an area multiple times, switching from quest screen to map screen, back and forth. I may have mentioned that the map screen is kinda weird. The map is like a representation of the game world but not exactly so causing confusion.</p><p>The real kicker for me was when I got a gun that I could not use because its level was higher than my current level. At that point I was done. Not only were you limited in how much you can carry but also which perks you could use and at which point in time. The game is a carefully crafted &quot;waste of time&quot; progression system where you collect random trinkets for NPCs that never move from their assigned location. It is a ancient game loop, this game might have been the original sin. who knows.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>I am going to put this game on the back burner. 5/10. Ain&#039;t got not time to waste grinding levels for minute rewards and boring enemy Ai. Skip this game, try Borderlands 2 instead.<br /></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3400/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Feb 2025 06:51:33 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3399/</guid> <title>No Cash (And the Sign Says..)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3399/</link> <description>68 <p>June 2023</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3399/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7014.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3399/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7015.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3399/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Mon, 03 Feb 2025 09:08:33 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3398/</guid> <title>Gaming on a Xbox 360 in 2025 - January Update (Articles)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3398/</link> <description>68 <p><br />After about 2 months of tinkering around with the Xbox 360 E here is my setup;</p><h4>Accounts</h4><p>I have 2 accounts; 1 offline and 1 on xbox live that I set up first on the xbox website then signed in via the xbox360. Do not try to sign up from the xbox itself. I play all my single player games on the offline account. I have no interest in xbox live and I do not pay for it. the xbox live account is needed because it is the only way to get updates for any new game disks. When ever I start a new game I log in with the live account with Ethernet connected and it usually prompts for an update. After the update I restart and auto boot disk and offline profile.</p><h4>Auto booting to disk</h4><p>The thing to note about auto-booting is that the time is not set even if you have the Ethernet plugged in. The time not being correct will be an issue when dealing with your save files being out of order. Some games load the save file which has the newest date. This means that sometimes if you have more than one save it will chose the wrong one simply because the time is more recent because that play session was longer than your current. Of course this will only affects you if you unplug your console after every use (which I do). I have settled on leaving the Ethernet cable plugged it, no WiFi then auto booting to the dashboard to resolve this time issue.</p><h4>Power brick</h4><p>I bought a new OEM power supply (175w) + adapter to replace the thirdparty version that came with the console. It resolved the spontaneous shutdown issues I was having with the console. Getting a new original power supply that says &quot;microsoft&quot; on the label is not easy or cheap. </p><h4>Games</h4><p>I only buy the best and cheapest games which I have the most interest. Get the newer games made after 2011. There are some bad games on the console, Dark Souls 1 comes to mind, so dont go in thinking that every game is worth your time. However at the same time Dark Souls 2 is awesome so your level of tolerance may depend on how much you like the a particular game genre.</p><p>Ensure that you do your research on a game before buying it, because a game might be expensive and still suck or cheap and awesome. Some games are expensive because they are rare not necessarily because they are good. And some games are cheap because they are bad and but sold a lot of copies. Perfect example is Halo 4 which is cheap because it sold alot of copies but is boring. Based on current prices $10 USD is cheap, $20 is average, $30 and above is an expensive game.</p><h4>Storage</h4><p>Make sure you get the internal harddrive - 250gb is good enough. I install all my games. It takes about 20 minutes to install a game so make sure you play the game BEFORE you install it (just in case the game sucks). You can always delete games you do not play often to save space. Installing games cuts the console noise output by half - the disk drive buzzes constantly if you play the game from disk. You could use a external usb stick but I personally hate having things stick out from the console which potentially could break off or damage a port. </p><p>Secondly I think the harddrive always shows first in the &quot;pick a storage location&quot; list, always, no way to reorder the list - so using the harddrive is the most UI efficient place to store saves. Get the internal harddrive with the console, its required for some games like GTA5 (says on the box). External USB SSD/Sticks can be used for other games and work well based on tests I saw on <a rel='external' href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrn31z_e05Y' title='youtube'>youtube</a>. </p><p>I am investing in a <a rel='external' href='https://www.amazon.com/Lexar-JumpDrive-Expansion-Plug-n-Stay-LJDS47-128ABBKNA/dp/B0CFXG94RZ/?th=1' title='mini-usb flash drive'>mini-usb flash drive</a> which should resolve the sticking out problem and speed up loading for installed games. Game saves will still be stored on the hard drive because of the previously mention pick list issue.</p><h4>Avoiding the red ring of death</h4><p>When ever I play the Xbox I take it out of the tv stand so that it gets maximum air flow - because my tv stand is pretty enclosed with only a small hole in the back. I placed it vertically onto of the stand, not on the carpet where dust will get to it faster. Keeping it vertical saves space. Hopefully it doesn&#039;t get knocked over. I always unplug the power brick but this is optional. The power brick has a bright orange light which I find annoying. I do not plan to dismantle my console anytime soon but eventually it will have to be done - possibly by someone else.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>As long as you are playing offline single player games, you will find that the 360 is a competent retro console. Once you find the games you want, just pop them in and play without worrying about updates, internet speed or whether you account is still up-to-date. Some games are expensive but if you are only interested in a few games then you might no mind spending the money on something you are going to enjoy.<br /></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3398/#comment">Post your comments on this article</a></p></description> <pubDate>Sat, 01 Feb 2025 10:18:40 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3397/</guid> <title>Clarendon Park, June 2023 (Low Life)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3397/</link> <description>68 <p>This is before the new highway opened up. THis is the Juicy beef stop which was always packed with tonned of visitors.</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3397/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7010.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3397/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7011.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3397/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7012.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3397/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7013.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3397/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Fri, 31 Jan 2025 08:52:47 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/</guid> <title>New Kingston, June 2023 (Street Photography)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/</link> <description>68 <p>I am rarely out shooting random pictures at night because 1 I dont have a flash and even if I did flash would make taking candid pictures of strangers 10x more difficult. But I do try sometimes. This was a car launch event at the Pegasus hotel.</p> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7003.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7004.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7005.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7006.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7007.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7008.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7009.jpg" alt="related image" /></a> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3396/#comment">add comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jan 2025 09:44:41 +0000</pubDate> </item> <item> <guid>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3395/</guid> <title>Review - Forza 4 - Essentials Edition (Video Games)</title> <link>http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3395/</link> <description>68 <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3395/"><img src="http://owensoft.net/v4/photo/thumb/7002.jpg" alt="related image" /></a><p>The game definitely feels slow. Even though it starts out with a top level car then instantly drops you down to the slowest car in the game. I do like the world tour vibe. Despite the fact that the Essentials edition has less content than the full 2 disc version of F4, I am not really concerned since I am just here for a taste (also why I am play the game on easy).</p><p>The graphics are excellent. There is this overblown sheen on the track when you are facing the sun that could be reduced but besides that the game looks good. The game is very friction-less. Much less friction than Gran Turismo 4. I basically set the game difficulty on easy and drove from location to location doing races then collecting cars. There are no real menu choices or dealer locations. So far I spent 1.5 hrs driving and 40 minutes in the menus and I am only 0.9% into the game.</p><p>I like the mountain track and the easy mode makes it really easy to drive with steering and auto braking assists. I once adjusted the difficulty and the handling was much harder; so hard I could not even navigate the first corner. So easy mode really lets you focus on the driving and looking at the pretty graphics.</p><p>The speed of the game does pick up as you upgrade your car to S class. And the upgrades are also easy, just drive until the game tells you that you are no longer competitive and you should do an upgrade. Then select &quot;quick upgrade&quot; and your car is instantly faster. I have more credits that I have used for and more cars than I need.</p><p>So far it&#039;s definitely a 9 out 10 game. If you want all the DLC make sure you buy the full Forza game and not the &quot;essentials&quot; edition. I am not sure how much longer I am going to play the game because I can feel myself really getting sucked into it since there is so little downtime. You are basically going from race to race with 1 or 2 choices between. So far it&#039;s fun. Make sure you play on easy.</p><h4>Annoyances</h4><p>The audio level for the announcer is very low and there is no way to adjust it in comparison to the car SFX so I have to turn up the volume between races. On easy mode there are no failure states, you cannot lose. Even if you end the race in last play you can still select continue, get your points and continue. I really do not mind but still.</p><h4>Conclusion</h4><p>After about 8 hours my completion percentage was about 2% so I looked up the time to beat the game. The website <a rel='external' href='https://howlongtobeat.com/game/3665' title='how long to beat'>how long to beat</a> reports it to be 40 hours of playtime for the main story! Well I have had enough of that. I think I have seen all the major locations in the game and acquired about about 30 or so cars. Its a fun game, but I cannot continue playing it - for me it is a bit grindy but if you love driving over the 27 locations then there is lots of driving waiting for you. 9/10 lots of driving, shiny roads. no license tests, no car shops, auto car upgrades, really stream lined, you are basically just given everything.<br /></p> <p><strong>by owen</strong> <a href="http://owensoft.net/v4/item/3395/#comment">comment</a></p></description> <pubDate>Thu, 30 Jan 2025 09:37:52 +0000</pubDate> </item> </channel></rss>If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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